It’s been an active offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders, as the organization made several changes, starting with hiring a new head coach, Klint Kubiak. The Raiders also spent over $280 million in total contract value during free agency to add a bunch of players to the roster.
That sets up for a handful of “revenge games” for a few new Las Vegas residents. So, with the NFL schedule releasing on Thursday, let’s dive into those matchups.
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Klint Kubiak
To be fair, “revenge” is a loose term when it comes to Kubiak and the Seattle Seahawks. There shouldn’t be any ill will after winning the Super Bowl, and that helped him land a promotion with the Raiders. But, as a competitor, part of Kubiak has to want to beat the Seahawks to help validate how much he meant to his old team and “win the breakup”, even if it was amicable.
The coach doesn’t seem to be very ego-driven, but it’s human nature to want to feel like you were the biggest, or at least one of the biggest reasons why a team had success. Winning a game against the defending champs after taking over the worst team in the league will accomplish that.
All of that being said, the game where Kubiak could be looking for more vengeance is against the New Orleans Saints. He was only the Saints’ offensive coordinator for a year and didn’t get retained when Kellen Moore took over for Dennis Allen as head coach. That creates some extra motivation for the new head coach in Las Vegas.
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Dareke Young
Sticking with the Seahawks matchup, Young never got much of an opportunity in Seattle. He was more of a special teamer, only receiving 228 offensive snaps and seven targets over four seasons, per Pro Football Focus. While there’s no guarantee that he makes the Raiders’ 53-man roster, if the 2022 seventh-round pick does, he should be looking to prove something to his old team.
Taron Johnson
Johnson spent eight years with the Buffalo Bills and played well enough to earn a second contract with the club and a second-team All-Pro bid in 2023. However, the front office decided to make him a salary cap casualty this spring. Buffalo was prepared to release the veteran defensive back before Las Vegas stepped in and was willing to swap a sixth-round pick for a seventh and take on the rest of his contract.
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The soon-to-be 30-year-old has battled injuries over the last couple of years, and presumptively, his combination of age and missing nine games in 2024 and 2025 is what led the Bills to feel he was expendable. This fall, Johnson has a chance to show his old team that he still has it.
Spencer Burford
After spending the last two seasons as a backup for the San Francisco 49ers, Burford will have a chance to earn a starting spot on Las Vegas’ offensive line. He made 29 starts as a rookie and second-year pro in San Francisco before getting moved down the depth chart and not receiving a second contract from the 49ers. So, if the 2022 fourth-round pick is on the field for the Raiders this year, expect him to have some extra motivation for the (former) Bay Area rivalry.
